The Cold War bunker in Coswarth, Cornwall reported earlier this month to go down under the gavel at an asking price of £50,000 was sold off as much as almost three times that on April 1.
The secret Cold War bunker was sold off at a staggering price of £140,000.
The said bunker was built during the Cold War at its location for experts of the then South West Water Authority to take refuge in and go on operating normal sewage and water activities if a nuclear emergency did arise.
The Cold War bunker built in 1978 measures 3,000 feet and has the capacity ton house 17 people — three in its control room, six in the communications room and seven in the bunker’s operations room.
The Cold War bunker was fitted with a number of blast-proof doors, an air lock, decontamination room, dining and recreations rooms as well as two dorms. All its rooms are underground save for a tiny entrance building made of brick which sits on the surface.
The Authority’s property manager, Chris Shapland, stated that his office had been auctioning off assets that are unnecessary for quite some time now so as to reduce their costs allowing them to keep their customers’ bills as low as possible. However, the selling of the Cold War bunker was the first time that something from the Cold War was pitched in.
He added that novelty sites such as this hold the people’s interest as they are eager to invest into something that give them “a little bit of England” which they can have in moderate amounts. Shapland further commented that the Authority have previously owned reservoirs and pumping stations auctioned off that are now unique homes all thanks to their new owners works.
Brian Blake who works for South West Water as an asset performance manager related how he was able to visit and see the inside of the Cold War bunker as it was being prepared for possible habitation and stated that though it was bare of furniture, if the emergency did happen, people could actually live inside it for years.
The buyer of the Cold War bunker chose to remain anonymous however.
Anyway, buying this Cold war bunker may prove timely as tensions increase in Ukraine resulting to Russia’s Putin getting expelled from G8. UK Prime Minister David Cameron even went on to announce that G8 meeting in June which is supposed to take place in the Russian city of Sochi will not push through.